If you have ever been to a boat ramp on a Saturday afternoon you have been witness to what can be a very stressful experience. The launching and recovery of a watercraft is sometimes a group effort, with one person driving a tow vehicle pulling the boat trailer, one person in the boat, and one person overseeing the entire operation from the dock or shore. But what if you are by yourself, the stress factor can rise to a whole new level with a very busy boat ramp and numerous other boaters anxiously waiting their turn to launch or recover their boat. Similar issues can exist when launching or recovering a watercraft from a boat lift.
Devices have been designed to automatically determine when watercraft trailers are at appropriate, predetermined depths. For example, see U.S. Pat. No. 7,876,234, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. However, these devices tend to be relatively complex in design and expensive and may not assure proper, consistent and safe boat launching practices. Such devices may have a tendency to become inoperable when the float valve becomes jammed due to debris or other reasons.
Accordingly, there is a need for a depth guide system and method that automatically determines when a watercraft trailer or lift is at an appropriate, predetermined depth within the water that assures proper, consistent and safe boat launching and recovering practices. Such a depth guide system and method should be easy to use, easy to install, inexpensive and relatively simple in design.